Let’s take a different look at Cumberland Farms. It has been a year and a half since it reopened. The complaints continue, a lot more time and effort wasted, but still the problem remains. In my opinion, maybe the problem isn’t Cumberland Farms. After all, they have improved the appearance of the corner, provided a service and are making a profit.

I spent a few minutes the other day just sitting in the lot watching the comings and goings. It was a weekday at about 2 p.m. There was a steady flow of traffic and a little wait at the pumps and some congestion. It was nothing compared to a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday when the place was a disaster ­- boats on trailers, landscapers with trailers, cars everywhere, people blowing horns.

It is a problem, but maybe we residents of Marion should look at ourselves. I have lived in town a lot of years. Believe it or not, there were once six gas stations and there was never a line. The population was smaller, with fewer boaters and fewer students and activities at Tabor Academy.

A lot has changed.

Activities have probably quadrupled; boating has at least doubled, and the summer population has grown. But we have not allowed services to grow. All of us, residents and others, need businesses that provide services.

When you drive the Marion section of Route 6, you can’t say that it is the prettiest stretch of highway. The businesses that have fought the strict regulations and bureaucracy we impose have improved the appearance. But our resistance to good growth puts a burden on all of us. We are consistently paying higher prices for gas due to lack of competition. The nearest station is about six miles away. Our resistance to good growth also puts a greater burden on the taxpayers in the form of higher bills and the need to travel out of town for basic services.

Over the years, we have spent a lot of effort and money on master plans, but rarely does anything change. Back maybe 15 years ago on a Saturday there was a town wide planning session at Sippican School with a very large turnout conducted by an outside planning group. The attendance was great and the meeting lasted a lot longer than planned.  The big item then was the development of Route 6 and cluster zoning to provide basic services needed for a community to prosper. But it was just a discussion.

Since that meeting there has been a decline in the Route 6 area instead of the growth that was discussed. And, of course, more plans. We have made many plans but have let vested interests and agendas dictate what really happens. Unfortunately this results in empty lots, businesspeople who have to spend months and years trying to achieve their goals, and a sad lack of options for residents. We approach each project as if it were completely separate from any other, and fail to look at what benefits us all long term.

The situation is similar to a traffic backup because of a narrow bridge. It’s not the bridge’s fault, but poor planning that looked only at the now and not at the future, only at one spot rather than the whole road system.

Cumberland Farms is here to make a profit, and from what I can tell they are doing quite well. I can’t fault them for that. But for the rest of us, competition would greatly improve the situation as far as congestion, price and overall service. We all need to review our growth plans and how we approach people who might want to do business here, and not leave it to a few.

We could use a nice restaurant, other small shops and professional services.  Let’s have another look at the future; maybe the problem is not Cumberland Farms.

Sincerely,

Charlie Bradley,

Marion